Dredging-machine



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

S. A. HILL. DREDGING MACHINE.

No. 554,510. Patented Feb.-ll, 1896;

R O .T N E V I AM DREW E GRAHAM,FHOTO-LITHQWASHINGTDND C 3 sheets sheet3.

s. A. HILL. DREDGING MACHINE.

No Model.)

No. 554,510. Patented Feb ll, 1896.

INVENTOR AN Dim BGRANAM. PNOYWUTHQWASNINGIUK L C,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL A. I-IILL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

DREDGING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,510, dated February11, 1896.

Application filed September 7, 1894.- Serial No- 522,313. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL A. HILL, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented a certain new and Improved Dredging-Machine, whereof thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of dredging-machines which are usedfor cutting and dredging canals, and, although capable of doing otherwork, is peculiarly adapted to cut a canal immediately in front ofitself of sufficient depth to float its own body, the constant advanceof the dredge over ground which it has thus cut to the full necessarydepth being in this way continuously permitted.

More especially my invention relates to a new and improved form ofrevolving cutter employed by me, to the mechanism whereby the constantand steady revolution and also the reciprocation of these cutters in avertical plane across the front of the dredge are secured, to the formand arrangement of flexible suction-pipes working in attendance uponthese cutters and constantly adjusted to cooperate with them, to theform of pumping and discharge mechanism employed by me in connectionwith the suction-pipes, and also to the anchoring mechanism whereby the.propulsion of the dredge is eifected without reference to itsscrew-propeller.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of theexterior of the dredge in the performance of its work, as seen from therear. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the cutting and pumping machineryand the framework supporting thesame. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of thesame, and Figs. 4c and 5 are detail views of the double-hingeddischarge-trough.

Referring to Fig. 1, A represents the body of the dredge. It is drivenby an ordinary screw-propeller, which is not seen. 13 is a largedeck-house which protects the cutting and pumping machinery and also theboiler and engines which operate both this machinery and the propeller.As the cutting and propelling machinery is necessarily at the extremeforward end of the dredge, it is desirable to mount the boiler andengines as far to the rear as possible, so that the dredge may floatwith an even keel.

As it is necessar y for the dredge to cut a channel wider than itself,the cutters must have a play greater than the width of the body of thedredge. Consequently the forward portion of the deckhouse projects overthe edge of the body of the dredge, both forward and at the sides.

In Figs. 2 and 3, D D D represent a framework of heavy squared timbermounted on the deck of the dredge and projecting well over the sides andforward end of its body. Running across the entire front of thisframework are two parallel horizontal beams D D of great size andstrength, which form the support for the cutters E E. These cuttersconsist of two parallel vertical shafts of iron or steel revolving eachin two heavy bearing blocks F F G G, which slide horizontally along thebeams D D the lower bearings, F F, sliding along the beam D, and theupper bearings, G G, sliding along the beam D The lower and operativeparts of these outters are armed with cutting-blades e 6, consisting ofsquare steel plates bolted tangentially upon the shafts of the cutters.These plates are mounted in pairs along the length of the cuttingportions of the shafts, two diametrically opposed to each otheralternating with two others similarly opposed, but at right angles tothe former.

The cutters have two regular motions: first, a motion of'revolution,and, secondly, a motion of reciprocation across the front of the dredge.In addition to this they are capable of being, when necessary,vertically adjusted. These motions and the mechanism whereby they arecontrolled will be described in order.

First. The motion of reciprocation. The lower bearing-blocks, F F,partially encircle at their back and slide freely upon the transversebeam D. They are held in constant relation to each other by aconnecting-rod h. Similarly the upper bearing-blocks, G G, are connectedby the rod 71, and slide upon the transverse beam D All four of thesebearing-blocks are connected to a fifth block d, situated centrally inrelation to them and approximately in the same plane, by diagonalconnecting-rods (Z d d 61 This fifth block (1 slides horizontally upon atransverse beam D supported in the same plane with and about midwaybetween the beams D D To the upper surface of the beam D is fitted tr'bythem.

through the worm k, which slides along its length but revolves with itin consequence of a key playing in a keyway out along the shaft. Inconsequence of this arrangement the revolution of the shaft Z effects alateral 1o movement of the bearing-blocks F F Gr Gr,

all maintained in constant relation to each other, and with them atransverse movement of the two revolving cutters, the direction of thismovement being determined by the di- I 5 rection of the revolution ofthe shaft Z. The

revolution of this shaft is effected by two pulleys m m revolving uponits end and driven in opposite directions from a countershaft L, Fig. 3.Between these pulleys is a differential clutch m, controlled by a lever01,

pivoted at 'n, by the oscillation of which the shafi Zis caused torevolve in either one or the other direction. The movement of the lever41 is determined by a slide-rod 0, carried by two sets ofroller-bearings o 0 mounted immediately above the beam D The slide-rod 0carries four stop-pins 1119 19 19 The end of the lever 71 is between thepins 19 and p and its movement is controlled A third roller-bearing o iscarried by and oscillates with the block G, and plays along theslide-rod 0 between the stop-pins p and p striking one or the othershortly before it reaches the end of its course. This 5 efiects alateral movement of the slide-rod,

which immediately brings one of the pins p p in engagement with thelever n, effecting a reversal of the shaft Z. In order to render thisreversal quick and positive, I employ a 0 weightq carried. by an armextending from a sector 0', which is pivoted at 0" upon the beam D andthe periphery of which gears with a short rack 0' upon the under surfaceof the slide-rod. Shortlybefore the oscillat- 4 5 ing blocks havecompleted their course in one or the other direction, the bearing 0comes in contact with one of thestop-pins p 12 and sets the slide-rod inmotion. As this motion progresses the arm carrying the weight g beginsto assume a vertical position, and by the time it reaches this position,oneof the 'pins 1 9 is in contact with the lever-arm n. The moment theweight (1 passes its vertical position it falls to the end of its limit,effecting instantlythe movement of the lever 71., and

consequently of the clutch m, thereby effecting the reversal of thedirection of the revolution of the shaft Z. In this way I effect theconstant andautomatic reciprocation of the bearing-blocks carrying thevertical cutters,

the extent of this reciprocation depending upon the situation of thestop-pins 19 13 the position of which upon the slide-rod 0 may be variedin accordance with the width of the canalwhich it is desired to cut, itbeing only necessary that they should at all timesbe far enough apart tocut a canal of greater width than the body of the dredge upon which theyare mounted. This movement of the cutters is automatic and positive, butas at times the cutters meet with circumstances of unusual resistance,the conneetingrods between the bearing blocks are bolted pivotally uponthem, and so admit of a very slight yielding when unusual resistance ispresented.

Second. The motion of revolution. The shaft of each of the cutters E Ecarries just above its lower bearing a bevel-wheel II II. Each of thelower bearing-blocks F F carries an angle-arm f f with bearings for ashort shaft, one end of each of which carries a bevelwheel .9 s, gearingrespectively with the bevelwheels H H, and the other end of whichcarries a spur-wheel t i, gearing with a corre ,sponding spur-wheel lb10 on a long shaft U, mounted parallel to and a short distance above thetransverse beam D, and driven from the pulley n by a band running to apulley on the counter-shaft L. In order that the revolution of thecutters shall proceed notwithstanding their reciprocation, thespur-wheels u u are made to slide along the shaft U, being caused torevolve with it by means of keys sliding in a keyway along the shaft,and held constantly in position opposite to the spurwheels 25 t withwhich they gear by arms projecting rearwardly from the angle-arms ff.

The bevel-wheels H II are afiixed to the cutting-shaft by set-screws, asare also the collars g g situated immediately above the upper bearings,G G. By adjusting these bevelwheels and collars upon the cutting-shafts, the cutters may be raised or lowered according to the depth towhich it is desired that the machine shall be capable of excavating.

The pumping machinery consists of two large circular pumps W driven fromthe pulleys w w, and preferably operated by ongines and shaftingdistinct from that which effects the revolution and reciprocation of thecutters. On accountof the nature of the material to be pumped,water-bearings are provided for the pumps fed by the pipes '12 c. Fromthe pumps the main suction-pipes X X pass forward and down to the lowerends of the cutters. In order that they may be able to accommodatethemselves to the motion of reciprocation the descending portions a: a."of thepipes are made of rubber or other flexible material. The nozzles YY are of metal and pass loosely through large iron rings 1/111 carriedat the lower ends of rods .2 .2, which depend from the lowerbearing-blocks F F and reciprocate with them. These depending rods arebraced toward their lower ends by a cross-piece Z, and by means of themthe nozzles of the suction-pipes are held constantly in position a shortdistance to the rear of the lower ends of the revolving cutters. Thedischarge-pipes O 0 pass up from the pumps and through the roof of thedeck-house, where they pour their contents into two large hinged troughsC C, which project transversely from the sides of the dredge and whichare long enough to extend some distance inland from the edges of thecanal which is being out. These troughs are supported by stays from theposts I) b erected on top of the deck-house. To their inner ends areaffixed double hinges c 0 (shown in Figs. 4 and 5) by means of whichthey may be hung alternately from either side and may be accordinglygiven a forward or backward trend as is desired. Should it be necessaryto carry the spoil farther from the dredge than the length of thesetroughs will permit, an extension 0 may be provided, as shown in thedotted lines, Fig. 1.

At the commencement of the pumping operation much power is wasted beforea sufficient vacuum can be created by the pumps. I therefore provide thepumps with steamejectors 2' 2", which are fed by pipes I I from thesteam-boiler and discharge through the pipes J J. By means of theseejectors a preliminary vacuum can be quickly created within the pumpsbefore they are set in operation. In order to prevent the inrush of airfrom the discharge-pipes when this vacuum is created the ends of thesepipes are protected by fiat valves K K.

If it is found that the forward motion of the dredge cannot besufficiently controlled by the ordinary propelling machinery, anchorsmay be thrown forward, the cables to a of which pass back into thedredge and are separately wound up upon the winch a In operation therevolution of the cutters, their reciprocation and the action of thepumps proceed simultaneously with the steady but slow advance of thedredge. As this advance continues the cutters are brought into contactwith the forward end of the bankwhich is being cutaway. The revolutionof the cutters excavates the earth or sand from the bank, and the spoilformed by the mixture of this earth or sand with the water is pumped upthrough the suction-pipe and discharged from the sides of the dredgefrom the troughs far enough away to prevent its running back into thecanal. If it is found that the cutting does not proceed quite evenly, amore delicate adjustment may be attained by winding in upon the anchoredcables by the winch.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In a dredge, thecombination of two vertically revolving cutters; means for automaticallyreciprocating the same in constant relation to each other; and pumpingand discharge mechanism for removing the spoil which is produced by theaction of the cutter, substantially as described.

2. In a dredge, the combination of one or more revolving verticalcutters; one or more transverse beams along which the bearings of thesecutters slide; mechanism for effecting the continuous revolution of thecutters; and mechanism for effecting the continuous reciprocation of thesame along the transverse beams, substantially as described.

3. In a dredge, the combination of one or more revolving verticalcutters; one or more transverse beams along which the bearings of thesecutters slide; and mechanism whereby the direction of the movement ofthese bearings is automatically reversed at each end of its course,substantially as described.

4. In a dredge, the combination of a revolving vertical cutter,reciprocating laterally across its front; a suction-pipe, the lower endof which is held in attendance upon the lower end of the cutter; astationary pump operating said suction-pipe; and a flexible connectionintroduced in the downwardly-projecting portion of the suction-pipe,substantially as described.

SAMUEL A. HILL. lVitnesses:

A. E. PAIGE, JAMES H. BELL.

